Blog

I HOPE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO PAUSE FOR A MOMENT,ADMIRE THE CLOUDS, CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN, GAZE AT THE STARS,TRAVEL TO THE DESTINATION YOU HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO VISIT,OR JUST GET OUT TO EXPLORE YOUR OWN BACKYARD.

I celebrate 1.30 each and every year. My grandmother, Grammy Bunny we called her, was born on this day in 1.30.30. She has passed nearly 15 years ago this coming summer. I have been writing about her alot lately. I returned to the page again today, writing and remembering followed by laughing and tears. I miss her very, very much. In celebration, I honor her today with a snapshot of free-flowing "I remember" moments:

I remember your laugh. Big belly laughs. Often leading to tears streaming down our faces.

I remember the way you left the windows open at night. All year round. You loved to breathe in the fresh air.

I remember the smell of cold cream at night. The white powder you kept in tiny decorative tins.

I remember the way the scent of your cigarette smoke permeated everything. No clothing or curtains were spared.

I remember long, deep conversations. About me, about you, about life.

I remember your Saturday morning visits. You would get your hair done and then come to visit, donuts in hand.

I remember your tenacious love for me and for our family. I can think of a few people who are lucky you are not here because you might have tried to hurt them due to any real (or perceived) harm to your family.

I remember your love for Reece's Peanut Butter Cups.

I remember how you would cheer for me and my friends at the basketball games. Wearing your team sweatshirt and sitting in the front row bleachers.

I remember lounging by the pool and your three section chair that you had to fold back and forth to get it just right.

I remember your fresh garden tomatoes and sun-soaked iced tea in the summer.

I remember curling up with you in the brown leather recliner, often scratching my back with your long nails. I remember how you used to play with your nails. I think that is where dad and I get it from.

I remember you reciting the Lord's Prayer to me before tucking me into bed.

I remember your encouragement for all my creative interests and ideas, from scrapbooking to photography. Oh, and that time you, Aunt Perriann, and I went on a day trip to get rocks for my rock collection. You filled your pocketbook full of rocks and we could barely lift the bag.

I remember how you loved the ocean. Trips to Acadia National Park and special spots at Schoodic Point.

I remember driving around in "Old Bessey" and how we got locked out that time. We sat on the curb waiting for help singing "Don't Worry, Be Happy, Don't Worry, Be Happy Now."

I remember you always, I will love you forever. Happy birthday, grammy. XOXO

I think feminism continues and will continue to exist wherever women work in their own way with one another and with men, and wherever women and men go on questioning male definitions of value, refusing gender exclusivity, affirming interdependence, distrusting aggression, seeking freedom always.

Almost a year ago now, she wrote Constructing the Golem on her blog. It was written in response to, the then, newly elected President Trump as only Le Guin would so sharply, critically, and eloquently write. Her truth-telling wisdom spills out onto the page. She names our "creature of the media" President a "media golem." Her wisdom rings true and I will try my best to summarize as simply as I can. STOP. STOP giving him so much attention. Stop feeding into the chaos he creates and feeds off of when you watch him, engage with him on Twitter, or listen to his rhetoric.

Le Guin lives on through the words she put down on the page filling books for adults and children. Le Guin lives on in the lives of those she has connected with through her work. Le Guin lives on in the lives who have not yet come into the world or have not read her yet. And some will now be inspired to pick up a book and sink into Earthsea, a short story, or her later years writing her blog. And some will meet her down the road and begin a new generation of women and men seeking to define the world, by protecting the world, for all of humanity.

I believe that I share her concern with the state of the world. I have been thinking a lot lately of my own grandmother who was born just a year prior to Le Guin (though she passed nearly 15 years ago now). I imagine what it would have been like to sit down in a comfy chair and curl up in conversation with Le Guin as she stroked the fur on the back of Pard's neck.

I imagine how our conversation would flow from moments of lightness and laughter at the simple pleasures and perils of life. Then, without skipping a beat, we would flow into moments of serious contention. With a no bullshit style, we would leap together into a discussion of the realities we each see in the escalation of divisive rhetoric and the dividedly dark ways of being in the world. I imagine she might have shared what a great weight this was in her heart. I image she would speak with great candor of the troubles of the world, her fears and her hopes. All that she has learned and what she wishes for the future of planet earth.

As women growing up in two very different times, I imagine we would talk for hours on end about the important work for feminists, both women and men, to continue by questioning power, patriarchy, and inequality. To bring all of the voices and ideas that are marginalized to the center of things. I imagine she would tell me to never stop questioning and creating. These are pathways to learning, pathways to seeking freedom. RIP UKL.

I spent quite a lot of time thinking about what I want to be doing with my time. I truly love outdoor adventures, creating through writing and photography, and movement through running, yoga session, long walks in the woods with our pups.

I gave up on Facebook. You can read more about that here. I am spending a very small portion of my time on social media. I am posting images on Instagram and using Twitter as a feed to ship my work out into the world.

So where in the world am I this year? Immediately, the lyric "where in the world is Carmen Sandiego" comes to mind and I remember choosing the name Carmen in a middle school Spanish class. A story for another time.

Have you seen my new homepage? I am really excited about it! I have changed over the years, but feel like this is really expressing and sharing me, my work, and what matters to me. I am thrilled to be reclaiming jlynnfrazier.com as my primary space. I am writing a lot more and want to share my thoughts and ideas here. Also, I want to share more about what i'm reading, what's inspiring me, and more of my personal journey.

I will be sharing photography here some, but I have reclaimed two key spaces to share my work. For purchasing images and my portfolio, visit the updated homepage at jfrazierphography.com.

Over the last year, I have felt an increasing sense that I have fallen short in telling photography stories. Not just a shot or two on the latest adventure, but more meaningful stories the showcase bodies of work. I have returned to an awesome community at Maptia where I will be sharing stories with you. I will be sure to share a glimpse of that work here too, but I hope you'll take time to go check out the stories I have on maptia.com/jlynnfrazier.

That's it for now. I have thought about some cross-publishing of my writing on Medium, but not ready to add that to my creative footprint just yet. I'm working on a couple of important photography and writing projects and want to give my time and focus on this work and to all things movement and adventure of course (I'm learning to backcounty ski and trying to knit a scarf.)